The Romanian Tongue Twister is a fantasy gymnastics routine in an animated short called "Tongue Tied" on YouTube. The daring move propels a frog-man creature (or at least his tongue) to a coveted gold medal - and sends his Eastern European rival into a life-long funk.
Unusually large tongues can do that apparently, according to researchers from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In their recent study they found that in obese folks, a fat tongue is a main cause of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which a person's breathing stops and starts, causing them to wake up sporadically all night long. It can trigger a life-long funk (aka depression), heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and dementia.
They also found that putting your tongue on a diet can improve obstructive sleep apnea. Using MRIs to look at study participants' upper airways, the researchers found that when obese folks lost around 10% of their body weight, the resulting reduction in tongue fat is what improved their symptoms dramatically.
So, check your tongue: Open wide. Stick your tongue all the way out while looking in a mirror. Can you see your entire uvula (the dangly thing hanging down from the top of your mouth)? If not, you have a too-large tongue, and it may be triggering or worsening your obstructive sleep apnea. Talk to your doc about tongue exercises - really - and a realistic weight-loss program. In addition, discuss using a mandibular repositioning appliance, which helps reposition the tongue, and a continuous positive airway pressure device, also called a CPAP machine.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Read more http://cdn.kingfeatures.com/rss/feed/editorial/index.php?content=YouDocTips_20200131